Battery post gripping head for electric cables



Nov. 28, 1950 w. N. STEVENSON BATTERY POST GRIPPING HEAD FOR ELECTRIC CABLES Filed Au 25, 1948 ATme/v w Patented Nov. 28, 1950 UNITED STATES TENT TO FFIZCE "BATIDERYEBOST GRIPPING HEAD FOR :ELECTRIC CABLES WilliamfN.iStevcnscn, Fairland,.0kla.

:A'pplicationiAugust 25, 1948, Serial No. 45,987

A .1 Claim.

.This -.invention:relates :to .battery cables particularly of theskindused with automobiles and the like, the :primary object I being to .provide I a specially formed connector head -:f.or the cable formed for quick and easy. removal --in-;rig-id connection' with one of thezbattery posts.

.Themost important object of this invention is .to provide a battery gpost; gripping head for electric cables having a pair *of -pivotally intercongagement with the :battery post.

Another important -.,obj ect of this invention is to provide .a battery post gripping .head :for-elec- .tric cables having (a body provided with a cylindrical bore for receiving the :battery :post, (the body being divided jlongitudinally through the bore to present a pair of sections, one of the sections having laterally extending ears embracing apart-of the other sectionand rovidinga pivotal connection for such sections.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a-ba'ttery connector-of the aforesaid character wherein that eportion of the sections extending: in one direction fromxthe pointof con-- {motion for receiving theseparable Wedge .is'lprovided with opposed'beveled .-jiaces for receiving .a wedge :toibe driven therebetwejen andserving Other minor objects will be made clear or be- 7 come apparent as the following specification progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a battery post gripping head for electric cables made in accordance with the present invention showing the same operably connected with a battery post.

Fig 2 is an elevational view partially in section taken on line 11-11 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line IV--IV of Fig. 2.

It is common knowledge that one of the most harassing problems in the field of automobile mechanics is that of providing a connector for battery cables capable of tightly gripping the battery post and maintaining itself in such tight electrical connection while being readily :removable as desired.

The common-use of a-clampvhaving aibo'ltsand nut take-up means "is unsatisfactory: for the reason that after the. same has: been-:placed :in use for aperiodof'time, chemical corrosionnot only makes the clamp vdiflicult to remove cbut softentimes, .acts upon "the material :from EWhiCh the clamp is made to such an "extentcthatntheccable becomes loose :and the electrical .connection broken.

The clampingmeans about to besdescribed is always easy to .remove and replace upon; a Abattery .post and is not likely .to become lloosexbecause of the progressively 'tighterigrip iwhichithe head imparts to thelbattery;:post.-.oncethe same is applied thereto.

Fig. 1 of. the drawing shows .a .conventionalibattery; broadlyzdesignatemby :the numeral files-having a terminal' post IiZasJa-part thereof. The

' gripping Shead forming'thensubject:matter of this invention and broadly designated-by thenumeral H3, includes av pair of sections L B-and liilpthelatter having. au-portion zllxextending therefrom :l'or receiving an electric zcablez22lin the usualzmanner.

:It is contemplated thatzhea'dl '4 be formed from material capable oimolding tightly aboutthe-cable122 and connecting electrically the .1 conductor of cable 22 with I the batteny post =l2. The-:pre

-cise manner :of interconnecting portion 320 =01? head 14 with the insulated-cable 22 fformsrno part of this invention and the conventional method may well be used.

The head l4, including its sections It and i8, is substantially circular in cross section with one of its ends dome-shaped. The opposite end of the head M is :provided with a cavity 24 for re ceiving the uppermost end of the battery post l2. Since this post I2 is substantially circular in cross section and somewhat truncated, the cavity 24 of the head l4 should conform to such contour of battery post !2. The bottom of the cavity 24 terminates intermediate the ends of the head 54 and as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the two sections Hi and I8 cooperate in forming cavity 24. In other words, a pair of substantially complementary jaws are presented by the two sections 16 and I8, said jaws being in diametrically opposed relationship. Thus the head M is divided on a line longitudinally through the cavity 24 and on a line substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the portion 29 for receiving cable 22.

The sections 16 of head M are provided with a pair of opposed, substantially parallel laterally extending cars 26 that overlap and embrace the section l8. Ears 26 are disposed intermediate the ends of the section 16 and immediately below the bottom wall of the cavity 24.. Ears 26 are preferably cast integrally with the section l6 of head 14 and are provided with openings 28 for receiving pintles 30 projecting outwardly from the sides of the section l8 of head I 4.

The openings 28 of the ears 26 are preferably elongated to the end that section 16 is freely swingable on section I 8 for purposes hereinafter made clear.

The dome-shaped end of the head [4, i. e., that portion opposite to the cavity 24, has the sections 16 and 18 thereof provided with opposed beveled faces 32 for receivin a wedge 34. In other words, the faces 32 of sections, it and i8 converge as the bottom wall of cavity 24 is approached and when the head i4 is placed in use by moving the same in capped relationship to the post 12, wedge 84 is moved into place between the faces 32 of sections I6 and 18. It is clear that as wedge 34 is driven inwardly toward the uppermost end of post 52, faces 32 will be spread apart and consequently the opposed arcuate jaws formed by cavity 24 will move together in tight gripping relationship with the post l2. Such inward movement of the jaws of head 3:! against the post 12 is occasioned by the relative pivotal movement of the section 16 by reason of the cars 26 swinging freely on pintles 38. As wedge 34 is forced into place by tapping the uppermost end thereof, the jaws of the sections i and I8 will become progressively tighter against the post [2. Once the head [4 is thus securely fastened to the battery post 12, it will remain in such position over a long period of time without further attention. Any corrosion that might form on the post 12 or within the cavity 24 of head M will only serve to render the engagement more rigid and at all times the user is assured that a positive electrical connection is present between the battery post l2 and the conductor within cable 22. In spite of such corrosion, the connector is still easily removed by simply tapping the wedge 34 along one of its longitudinal edges whereby the same will readily move from between th inclined faces 32. The jaws formed by the cavity 24 will then easily separate from the post 12 by'reason of the pivotal connection afforded by perforated ears 26 and pintles 30.

It is apparent from the foregoing that a gripping head for electric cables that can be easily and quickly mounted securely upon a battery post has been provided and that the same is inexpensive to manufacture, not easily damaged by use and capable of application without particular skill on the part of the user and without the necessity of specially formed tools as is presently the case when conventional connectors are used.

Such changes and modifications as fairly come within the scope of the appended claim are, therefore, contemplated hereby.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Let ters Patent is:

A battery post gripping head for electric cables comprising a solid body having a cavity formed therein, said cavity being adapted to receive a portion of a battery post and being frusto-conical in conformity with the contour of said battery post, said body being divided through the cavity, presenting a pair of substantially complementary sections; a projection on one of the bodysections for receiving an electrical cable; diametrically opposed, outwardly-extendin pintles integral with one of said body sections and adjacent the innermost end of said cavity; a perforated ear on the other body section for pivotally receiving each pintle respectively; and a fiat, tapered, wedge-like key insertable between said body sections in opposed relationship to said cavity for forcing the body sections into clamplng relationship with the battery post when the latter is in the cavity, the outermost end of the battery post engaging said end of the cavity, and the walls of said body sections adjacent said key diverging outwardly in conformity with the contour of said key when the latter is inserted between the body sections.

WILLIAM N. STEVENSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,768,017 Yogoda June 24, 1930 1,795,415 Walker Mar. 10, 1931 1,996,355 Smith Apr. 2, 1935 2,370,227 Bruder Feb. 27, 1945 

